Letters
by TheAmazingAuthoress
Summary: Dear Walt Disney, My name is Henry Stein. As you may be aware, toons from multiple studios are disappearing, and I think I know why.
1. Letters

**Authoress' note: A story idea I came up with while visiting family. Please let me know what you think!**

Dear Walt Disney,

My name is Henry Stein, and I am the head animator for Joey Drew Studios. I understand that the past few months have not been easy for you, concerning the disappearances of Mickey Mouse and the other Toons. Losing one toon is heartbreaking enough for a creator, but several Toons disappearing around the same time can arise suspicion. While it is not as broadcasted on the news, most of the Toons from my work have also gone missing. As their creator and animator, I am doing everything I can to find them. I have my reasons that there are more than one person behind these toonnappings. I am writing to you is because I am hoping we can meet in the near future to discuss this issue. Perhaps together we can solve this mystery.

Sincerely,

Henry Stein

OOO

Drear Henry Stein,

I was surprised in receiving your letter, especially considering how competitive Mr. Drew can be. I am aware of the disappearances of your Toons, but after I received your letter I began to do more research. It appears that your toons did in fact got missing around the same time mine did. I would love to meet with you. Unfortunately, I am too busy to schedule an appointment within this month, but perhaps in early May you could fly over to meet with me. I would go to Joey Drew Studios to meet with you but I'm afraid Mr. Drew may chase me with a Bendy cutout!

But in all honesty, thank you for your letter, it is nice to know someone else out there understands the pain of losing a toon.

Sincerely,

Walt Disney

OOO

Dear Walt Disney,

Thank you for replying to my letter. I will be a bit busy during May, but I can ask for some time off within the first week. It seems that Mr. Drew's competitive reputation has certainly leaked into the news! Bendy is one of the few toons we still have, and Mr. Drew has entrusted him to my care. If I am to fly to California, I may have to bring him with me. As you already know, most of the disappearances happened around the same time, and Bendy himself has had several close calls. I'll explain more when I am able to meet with you. If you have any issues with Bendy coming please let me know soon.

Also, if you can, please keep this meeting a secret. If Mr. Drew heard about this he would fire me on the spot.

Sincerely,

Henry Stein

 **Authoress' note: Well?**


	2. Rival Territory

**Authoress' note: Just assume Jet Lag doesn't exist here, okay?**

 **So I've always wanted to see something where Disney and Mickey work together of something like that, but haven't found any (the closest I could find was Epic Mickey) so once again I've taken matters into my own hands and saved the day.**

 **You're welcome.**

 **(Mr. Disney please don't haunt me)**

 **You guys seem to like this idea too, so lets dive into some reviews!**

 **SLS: Yeah...**

 **MeliLouiseNorth : Care to make any guesses?**

 **Kitsuneotakugirl91: I can see it now! (Holds hands up dramatically) Walt Disney and Henry Stein vs the forces of evil! (I'd watch that!)**

 **gemstarz22 : Yeah... updates have been slow... (and I may or may not be stuck on What Was Promised... don't tell Bendy)**

 **InvaderPeppermim: Aw shucks!**

 **Twins 'n Fandoms : It's up to Henry and Walt to answer those questions, girlie! (And don't worry about the fanart, take all the time you need. Squiggly digg posted a cover of Coco in _February_. We all run a bit behind sometimes. **

**LordMaRiFrizi: What? Noo... Walt won't let him.**

 **Disney fan5: Bendy skipped leg day in Chapter 5**

 **The new Sammy L: This is a good, fun stress reliever while I figure out WWP (What Was Promised)**

 **On with the hor- wait... I mean on with the cartoon cuteness! (I own nothing)**

"Walt Disney?!" Linda shouted.

"Shh!" Henry hissed. "Do you want the whole world to know?!"

Linda didn't bother lowering her voice. "What? Why so secretive? Were you given a job offer? Please tell me you got a job offer!" Linda was bouncing in her toes as she spoke.

Henry stared at his wife for a good minute. "N-No... I wasn't."

Linda seemed disappointed. "Then... why are you meeting with him?"

Henry sighed. "I've been contacting him via letters because we both have the same problem with missing toons. He lost Mickey Mouse a few months ago, and we just lost Alice. So I thought, 'maybe if we put our heads together we can figure out this mess.'"

As Henry spoke, he pulled out a file from dis desk drawer. Both he and Linda had been collecting information and clues over the months, and had been keeping it all in a yellowed file. So far, it was just a bunch of dead ends. A newspaper clipping here, a piece of fabric there, it was just one big incomplete puzzle. "So I'm going to see him early next month. He knows I'm coming."

"Will he welcome you?" Linda asked.

Henry's head shot in Linda's direction. "What makes you ask that?"

"Walt Disney is well-known for his competative nature..."

"Well, he ain't as bad as Joey. If Mr. Disney walked into our Studio Joey would probably chase him with an axe."

Unbeknownst to them, a small snicker came from the closet.

Linda put her hands on her hips. "It just seems unlike Disney to welcome a rival into his studio, even if it's to find his toons."

A moment of sober silence passed between them, like Linda had just hit a nerve. Henry's face grew sad. "Linda... you must understand that loosing a toon is like loosing a kid. And any good parent would do anything in their power to save their child, even if it means working with rival animators."

Linda's face fell. "I... I suppose you have a point there. Disney may be competitive and is a tough rival, but he doesn't seem like an evil man. Doesn't he have children?"

Henry nodded. "Two girls, just like us."

"I see. Henry... I... I know the toons mean a lot to you, and I trust your judgement, just... this seems way out there. Walt Disney, agreeing to help a rival?"

"He must be desperate." Henry said.

"What are you even going to tell Joey? You can't just ask off."

"Oh I already did. You're father lives in LA, right? I just told Joey that he had a stroke and that we'll need to visit him for a couple of weeks."

Linda was in the middle of nodding when she froze, "Wait, _we_?!"

"Yeah... I..."

"Henry!"

"Linda, I can't visit my father-in-law without you! That would look too weird-"

Suddenly a black and white figure jumped out of the closet cartoonishly fast. He landed on the bed and got right in Henry's face, cheeky grin wide with excitement.

"Where're going to LA?!" Bendy shouted.

OOO

Several weeks later a family of five exited off the latest flight to LA. They all more casual clothing and had hats and sunglasses to avoid recognition. Amongst the group was an animator, a painter, two girl (5 and 7 years old) and a toon tucked away in a suitcase that doubled as a hammerspace.

"It's pretty humid here." Linda noted. The sun seemed to blind her as soon as they exited the air port. The air seemed warm and thick, unlike the thin, cold air back home.

"We ain't in Illinois anymore, baby." Henry teased.

"Mommy, Daddy, palm trees!" Their youngest, Grace, shouted as she pointed to some plants.

"Yeah, they're pretty big, aren't they?" Henry said.

"Can I climb it?"

"Absolutely not."

"Aw, c'mon, Henry, let the kid have some fun now and then." Bendy teased from the suitcase.

"Not now Bendy." Henry hissed. "We're in Disney turf now."

"What, you scared of a mouse?" Bendy snickered.

"No, I'm scared of-"

"Mr. and Mrs. Stein?"

Henry and Linda froze, both looking at each other in shock. No one was supposed to know they were here. Had Joey sent-?!

"Uh, Mr. Stein, I'm guessing?" A short man with a thin mustash and bushy brown hair approached them.

Henry blinked. So much for the disguises. "Um... I... who's asking?"

Linda elbowed him.

" Oof! I mean... yes. I'm sorry, I just wasn't excepting anyone here."

The man smiled. "On a top-secret mission, huh? Yeah, Walt told me about that." The gentleman held out his hand. "Name's Ub Iwerks. I'm one of the head animators for Walt Disney Studios. Mr. Disney wanted me to pick you guys up personally, don't trust no one else."

Henry shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Iwerks. This is my wife Linda, and our two girls Charity and Grace."

"And me!" Bendy called out.

Ub looked over Henry's shoulder. "See you brought the devil as well. Lovely. I trust he's gonna be on his best behavior?"

"Of course he is." Henry shouted over his shoulder. Bendy responded by sticking his head out and blowing a raspberry before retreating into the case.

"Reminds me of Ozzy." Ub mumbled. Out loud he said, "Whelp, time's a-wasting. Best be off?"

OOO

The family was piled into a taxi with Ub in shotgun and an unnamed driver at the wheel. The car itself was clean with leather seats and rollable windows. Henry and Linda were slightly intimidated by the fanciness, but did their best to hide it. The Stein children squealed in delight as they passed various sights. They even could see the ocean at one point, it looking like a dark blue sky underneath the real sky. Henry noted how their seemed to be multiple stores selling Disney merchandise. It felt a little strange to him, being used to seeing people with Bendy-mania instead of the Mickey-virus. Linda herself was awed by the rich homes they would pass, and caught herself daydreaming about living in one.

"Can we live here daddy?!" Grace squealed.

Henry laughed. "Uh... I donno if we can afford it. Besides, Illinois has plenty of adventures there, right?"

"But it doesn't have the ocean!" Grace pouted.

Bendy stuck his head out of his case. "Yeah, _daddy_ , all Illinois got is cornfields."

Henry sighed. "Tell you what, some time on this trip we'll visit the ocean, okay?"

The girls cheered, Grace pulling Bendy out of his hammerspace and bear-hugging him. Bendy flopped around like a ragged doll, much to the amusement of the Steins.

"Now they're never going to leave us alone until we go." Linda mumbled to her husband.

Henry shrugged. "And you're probably never going to leave me alone either."

Linda smiled. "True, very true."

A little while later the taxi pulled into a wealthy looking neighborhood. Linda's eyes widened as she almost pressed her face to the glass. All the houses were of different designs and built to stabilize against the step hills. Some where painted with soft colors, some had a more traditional feel, a few even had a futuristic look. Oh, how Linda dreamed of living in one of these homes, the ocean just being a short walk away. The girls seemed to share her idea, loudly commenting on the beauty of the homes. Just then the family pulled into the large driveway of one of these establishments.

Linda's heart skipped a beat. "I thought we were going to see Mr. Disney."

"You are, but it's suppertime around here." Ub simply said. "Now, if anyone asks, ya'll are just family-friends visiting from out of town, got it?"

Linda began to figit. "Wait, is this...?"

Ub smiled as he opened the back seat door. "Welcome to the Disney residents, Stein family."

 **Authoress' note: Soo... I did a little (a lot) of research on Disney and Iwerks, and their relationship is very similar to that of Joey and Henry... _very_ similar. Walt and Ub were old friends and together they designed Mickey (after they lost Oswald). They actually had a fall out in 1930 (And when I read about why this was I discovered where Joey got some of his worst traits) and Ub left the company to try to start his own. After several fails he sheepishly went back to Disney and for some reason Walt was okay with re-hiring him. Ub went back to work in 1940 and even helped with designing Walt Disney Land. Nice to see old friends reconcile, huh? **

**Alright, that's enough for the history lesson, write your own essay.**

 **Oh, and this story takes place in 1940, for anyone who's curious.**

 **Follow, Favorite, and Review, or else the ghost of Disney will haunt you!**

 **Oh, and of course we need a analyse question, so today's question is...**

 **Why did Linda enthusiastically ask Henry if he was given a job offer?**


	3. Job Interview

**Authoress' Note: I saw this movie recently called "Disney before Mickey," and just... wow. Walt had it rough before his animation empire. I may or may not have cried when he lost his mouse pet. Sooo many times I wanted to jump into the movie and give him a hug.**

 **(But seriously Walt, "I never liked that stupid rabbit?!" Well fine, Oz likes me better anyway!) (Hugs my plushie)**

 **Anywho,you all really seem to like this idea, so lets dive into those reviews, shall we?**

 **4evaGumballFan345: Why thank you!**

 **InvaderPeppermim : Yeah... Disney kinda overshadows Joey Drew Studios a bit. (And you know, since we call "Walt Disney Studios" "Disney," would "Joey Drew Studios" be called "Drew?")**

 **JOHNHAMMOND1993 : You all seem to understand Linda and Joey quite well.**

 **MeliLouiseNorth (and guest): That... was not what I was going for at all... But that would be kinda fun for our heroes to theorize, huh? ;) To be honest, there's only so much romance I can take. And yes, Bendy is very witty.**

 **LordMaRiFrizi: ...Yikes. That... sucks. I've never lived in LA, but I've visited it a couple of years ago, and my interpretation of it was far more... touristy? It was a nice change from where I live. I hope wherever you live now is much better. And about the McDonald story... dang... I'm sorry. Normally I'd make a joke, but beating up a toddler is _not_ okay. I'm real sorry you had to go through that.**

 **4evaGumballFan345 (again): Ya'll are acing my questions!**

 **Kitsuneotakugirl91 : Ever seen that one animatic of where Bendy meets the butcher gang? Hang on, I'll send a link... watch?v=r7pv-EswJT4. That's the voice I like. I also like Squigglydigg's impersonation, as well as the accent. Flawless!**

 **SLS: You're... probanly right.**

 **gemstarz22 : "18 hour late?" Girl, don't stress over that! I'm not at all offended if you guys come a little later. And not enough courage for fanfics? Trust me, I've been there. You don't have to start big, just start with silly one-shots and advanced from there. Take Disney for example. He was kicked out of his own house more than once because he couldn't pay rent. But that was his early days. Look at him now!**

 **mckenzie: I just think it's time for him to feature in a batim fanfic.**

 **On with the magic! (That's what I'm going to use now.) I own nothing.**

When Joey talked about Walt Disney, his interpretation of him was a power-hungry, wicked man who will cut corners to get what he wants. Linda's interpretation was a successful business man who had provided jobs and opportunities for people all over America. Bendy's interpretation was someone who tries to steal his audience.

And Henry's interpretation?

Well...

About two seconds after Ub knocked on the door a middle-aged man with a short stature but a wide grin opened it with a _swoosh_. He had brown hair and a thin mustash just like Ub's, although unlike Ub's his hair was flattened with hairgel. Linda's eyes widened as the legend himself came out and shook their hands like old friends. Grace and Charity were also surprised by the sudden greeting, hiding behind their parents legs. Bendy, back in the suitcase, struggled to hear what was going on.

"You must be Henry and Linda Stein! Pleasure to meet you at last!" Walt Disney exclaimed. "Please come in, you must be tired from the plane ride!"

Linda was so stunned she couldn't speak, so for once it was Henry who stepped in. "O-Oh, yes. Great to meet you. Um, this... uh, you already know about Linda, and these..." Henry moved out of the way to reveal his daughters, "Are our daughters, Charity and Grace."

Charity gulped. Grace, on the other hand, said, "Are you Mr. Disney?"

Walt bent his knees to reach her eye level. "Yes I am, little Princess."

"Mr. Drew says you're a poopy face."

Henry and Linda froze, their eyes cartoonishly wide. They had been so concerned about Bendy's behavior they didn't think about the girls. Charity and Grace were relatively well-behaved children. A moment of stiff silence passed between them before Walt smiled. "Do _you_ think I look like a poopy face?" He teased.

Grace shook her head. "My mommy says that is not polite to call someone a poopy face."

"That's a good answer. You seem like a smart kid." Walt straitened up. "Anyway, come on in, I'm sure you all must be starving."

The Stein parents released a breath they didn't know they were holding and stepped inside.

It was a large, but quaint home. Other than the occatioanal awards mounted on the wall and a stray Mickey Mouse plushie on the floor with all the other toys, the residents didn't seem out of place. The rest of the Disneys were introduced to the Steins, and the girls seemed to hit it off really well. Almost immediately Grace and Charity sprinted off with Diane and Sharon Disney, leaving the adults to chat alone. Walt lead the group into the dining room.

"Now I understand you had to bring Bendy along," Walt said with a hint of dismay, "I'm curious to see-"

Suddenly the suitcase split open and a black and white toon jumped out, somersaulting cartoonishly fast and landing on the table with a bow. Lillian screeched in alarm and Ub jumped slightly (but overall kept calm) while Linda and Henry mentally groaned.

"You called?" Bendy sneered, straitening his bow-tie.

"So you're Bendy." Walt said, his tone unrecognizable. "Heard quite a bit about you."

Henry held his breath. _Bendy, don't say anything-_

"Heard about ya too, Mista Disney. Where I'm from you're known as the rat-trainer animator."

 _-Stupid._

"Is that so?" Walt chuckled. "Well, I hate to disappoint you, but you won't find any rats around here."

"Yeah, that's cause they all disappeared-"

" _That's_ quite enough, Bendy." Henry interrupted. "Why don't you play with the girls upstairs?"

Bendy didn't turn to Henry as he muttered, "Yeah yeah, just something I wanna make strait to this guy." Bendy marched across the table and grabbed the collar of Walt's shirt, pulled him forward to look him square in the eyes. "Now listen here, old man..."

"Bendy-!" Linda scolded.

"I know I got the pie-cut eyes and white gloves and the silly personality..."

"Bendy, let him go!" Henry cut in.

"...But I wanna make something very clear to ya..."

"Bendy..."

"I. Am not. A Disney. Cartoon." Bendy hissed. "Neva have been, neva will be. So don't get any ideas. Got it?!"

"That is _enough_ , Bendy. Get downright now." Henry growled.

Walt was clearly surprised by Bendy's aggression, but to everyone's surprised he smiled. "Good to know, Bendy. Just one thing: it's Walt, not 'Mista Disney.' There's only one Mister, and that's my lawyer."

Bendy was visibly stunned by this response. After a second of clearing away his surprised, he said. "Well, then, good. Glad we're on the same terms... Walt." Bendy hopped off the table and marched passed a stunned Henry and Linda. "I'll be with the kids if anyone needs me."

When Bendy vanished upstairs Ub released a chuckle. "He's got quite a personality."

"I-I am so sorry about that, Mr. Dis- uh, Walt." Henry stammered, "Are you...?"

Walt straitened his collar. "Don't stress about it, Henry. I've dealt with far worse when it comes to toons. And speaking of toons, why don't we get down to business about where our toons have run off to."

OOO

Several hours later night had fallen on the city of LA. The crickets outside played their soft melody as the house itself seemed to quiet down. The girls were upstairs playing princesses( (and attempting to dress Bendy in a tutu), Lillian and Linda sat in the living room gossiping, and Henry and Walt were in Walt's office. They sat on opposite sides of the desk, each puffing cigars. Walt wanted to dive straight into the mystery of the missing toons, but there were some things Henry needed explanations for.

Walt, if you don't mind me asking, why did you have me meet you here, at your home, instead of your office?"

"Can't I give a warm welcome to a partner-in-crime?" Walt chuckled.

"You know what I mean." Henry's tone a little more serious now.

Walt's face fell. "Well, if you must know the truth, I can't have anyone know about this. For the past few months I've had my reasons to believe that whoever is behind this plot works right in my studio. Besides Ub, I can't trust anyone in there."

Henry nodded. "But the authorities have been hammering at this case ever since the first toon disappeared. Don't 'they' know about that too?"

"Yes, but they don't know that I'm starting my own case on the issue, with my own secret agent."

Henry frowned. "You mean Mr. Iwerks?"

"I was preferring to you, Henry."

Henry choked on his cigar. "I-I'm sorry- what?"

Walt smiled. "I need a fresh set of eyes in the studio. I've heard about your ability to sniff out trouble. I want you to... be a spy for me, per say. You come in my studio impersonating as a new recruit and..."

"Now hold on." Henry stood up. "I came here to see if there was perhaps... information we could exchange, as if we both have different pieces to the puzzle, not me work as a double agent. I have a job of my own to maintain..."

"But didn't you tell Mr. Drew that you need time off for family? You don't have to worry about your job right now, Mr. Drew won't suspect a thing."

"But I can't just start a new job, especially for a... well..."

"Rival Company?"

Henry sighed. "I came here looking for my toons, or at least some answers, not a job offer. Besides, why me? Why not someone else?"

"Because you have the artistic and sleuthing skills needed for this. I'm not asking you to work permanently, just until we catch our culprit. And once we find our crook, we'll find our toons."

"How do you know this crook's in the studio, Walt?"

Walt's face became serious for the first time. "To keep it short, Mickey disappeared while in the studio one night. There were no signs of someone breaking in, which tells me that whoever it was had keys to the place, and that would be my employees. _Someone_ in there is a part of this, and he or she is our only lead to the others. As far as I'm concerned..." Walt took a shaky breath. "Mickey could be on another planet."

Herny nodded. "Why can't you find this guy yourself?"

"Because I'm sure they suspect that I'm on to them. A new animator, on the other hand? Won't suspect a thing. You'll be my eyes and ears, Henry."

"This is sounding less like a meeting and more like a job interview." Henry muttered.

"So you'll do it?" Walt stood up and extended his hand.

Henry thought it over for a solid minute before reluctantly shaking his hand. "Until we find the toons."

 **Authoress' note: Walt was well known for his... pushiness. Let's see how long it takes before Henry snaps. And Joey most likely used a stronger word than "poopy face."**

 **Oh, and today's question is...**

 **Who do you think is the culprit, and why? It has to be a real person who actually worked in the studio (and Ub doesn't count) You may have to do a little digging for this one. Who's up for the challenge?!**


	4. Hammerspaces

**Authoress' note: I updated late at night after already taking my sleep medicine, so I forgot to add an authoress' note! My bad!**

 **The exams are really getting to me...**

 **Anywho, we got some reviews here! (I know some people reviewed in the previous update, but we're only focusing on chapter 3's today)**

 **Kitsuneotakugirl91: Bendy's been spending waaay too much time with Joey.**

 **MeliLouiseNorth:Grace is fun to write. I can't wait to get to her personality once the stress of Henry's disappearance is out of the way.**

 **gemstarz22: No problem! I had a bit of free time in the last update, unlike now...**

 **4evaGumballFan345: Why thank you!**

 **SLS: Fun fact, he's actually a WWI veteran.**

 **LiterarySerenity : I have a lot in store (rubs hands together and grinning) and someone get Henry a trenchcoat and pipe! He's a detective now!**

 **LordMaRiFrizi: Yikes... that's rough. It's a little safer where I live, as long as you don't snoop where you shouldn't. Glad you guys never saw them again.**

 **Also, why does everyone assume Mickey and Alice are a thing? Eh, I'll never understand ships...**

 **Anywho, on to the mystery! I own nothing (Walt please don't haunt me)**

Henry was pretty quiet for the rest of the evening. He had this look on his face, as if he was disconnected from the current moment. Linda knew that look quite well, but she thought best not to say anything. After a pleasant evening of everyone getting to know each other, the Stein family took a bus over to Linda's father's home. Linda's father, Mr. Ross, was a tall, big, senile old man, often rambling about how he could tell the forecast using his left foot and how aliens stole his dog 20 years ago. His eyes were not very good, so when the Stein family arrived Mr. Ross kept asking Henry how he taught his black and white cat how to stand upright.

"He's not a cat, he's a cartoon." Henry struggled to explain.

"He's a carton, son?"

"Car- _toon._ "

"What's a cat-toon?"

Mr. Ross' hearing wasn't very good either.

After the kids were tucked in, Henry told the others the big news.

"You're working for a Vault Disk Key?" Mr. Ross croaked.

"A-A... It's only temporary, dad..."

"Walt Disney?!" Bendy screeched.

"Yeesh! Get that cat under control, Henry!" Mr. Ross covered his ears and he curled away from the toon.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Bendy began jumping cartoonishly fast. "I knew that mouse-trainer would do this! Joey always said not to trust him! You can't do this Henry! You're a traitor, you're a (squeak) traitor!"

"Bendy!" Linda scolded.

"You animate me, _me_ , not some stupid rat! You can't do this to me, Henry!" Bendy hyperventilated like a spoiled child.

"Ohh... my poor ears..." Mr. Ross whined.

"Bendy..." Henry gripped Bendys arms, slowing him down, "This is just to sniff out the culprit. I'm going in as a secret agent, not an employer. Who knows, maybe I can learn some secrets the place has and use them for our studio. I can be Joey's double agent!"

Bendy seemed to calm down at that statement. "A double agent?"

"Yeah, and we'll be finding Alice and Boris while we're at it."

"Y-Ya sure?" Bendy stuttered.

Henry nodded, gently rubbing the toon's curved head. "It's our best chance. Maybe we'll even find the butcher gang!"

Bendy sniffed and rubbed his non-existent nose. "Neva thought I'd miss those geezers."

Henry pulled his toon into a tight hug. "Me too, Bendy, me too..."

OOO

The first day on any job can be a bit overwhelming, and Walt Disney Studios was no exception.

Henry took the bus to "work," armed with nothing but a briefcase containing pens, spare paper, a book, and his lunch. As he sat on the bus, he clutched his case like his life depended on it, Bendy's words echoing in his mind. It wasn't working for Disney that bothered him, heck he saw it as half-baked revenge against Joey. What worried him was what Bendy might do. The toon was very loyal to his studio, what chances are there that Bendy will rat to Joey about this? No, surely he wouldn't do that, Henry is like a father to him. And besides, if Bendy did spill the beans Henry was sure he could sort out the misunderstanding.

Right?

Yeah, Right.

 _If Joey finds out, I'm screwed._

When Henry arrived at the studio, he was surprised by the familiarity. Besides the new faces and Mickey posters, it didn't feel much different than home. People were bustling about, co-workers greeting one another, girls gossiping, music playing off radios. It was certainly much more crowded than home.

Not to mention it lacked the leaky ink pipes. Pleasant surprise there.

"Uh, excuse me ma'am." Henry stopped one girl. "Do you know where I can find Mr. Dis- uh... Walt?"

The girl thought for a moment. "He's usually in his office this early in the morning, but he's probably busy."

"Oh," Henry adjusted his grip on his case. Strange, it felt heavier than usual. "I-I have an appointment with him. Do you think you can show me..."

The girl nodded. The two of them trekked down the busy hallways. Henry took in everything, from the smell of ink to the faint whiffs of music to the arguing of storyboard artists. Eventually they made it to a door labeled "Walt Disney."

The girl said a quick "have a good day," before resuming back to her business. Once Henry was alone the hallway seemed much longer than before. The animator took a shaky breath.

 _Everything's fine, everything's fine, Joey's thousands of miles away. This is going to be fine._

Henry knocked on the door.

And of course, it was Walt who answered it.

"Henry! Glad your here, a little early, don't you think?" Walt steered Henry into his office.

"It's not 9:30?" Henry asked.

Walt checked his watch. "9:15. Well, nothing wrong with being ahead, right?"

"So how exactly is this going to work?" Henry asked as the two of them took their seats.

"Well, you'll mostly be in the animator department, but you'll be frolicking around other areas of my studio, so that we can cover all our bases. If anyone asks, say that your a man of many talents and I'm just deciding where to put you."

"And how long will this take? I can only keep Mr. Drew in the dark for so long." Henry said.

"Depends on how well you do your job."

Henry frowned. "Right... Speaking of that, since I'm... well... 'working' here..."

Walt chuckled. "Of course you're going to be paid."

OOO

Lunch break could not have come soon enough.

Truth be told, lunch was always his favorite part of the day. It was a time for him to dig into a turkey sandwich while reading a good book. A time when he could perhaps escape into the hiking trails of his town for a quick run.

While the nearest woods was miles away, the studio did have a decent break room. It was a cozy little area with small games and even a coffee maker. Soft swing playing off a record player mixed with the faint chatter. Henry spotted a lone table and made himself comfortable.

Placing his briefcase on his desk, he snapped the thing open when-

"Hiya Henr-omph!"

Henry clamped the case shut and looked around wide-eyed. Several of the workers had stopped what they were doing and gave him perplexed looks. Henry struggled to keep a strait face as he smelled the tension.

"I-uh... recorder went off." Henry stammered.

"In... your briefcase?" One nearby man asked.

"It's my hammerspace."

The man's eyebrows raised. "You have a hammerspace?"

"Henry ya banged me on the horns!" Bendy muffled.

"Y-Yeah, got a lot of voice recordings in here."

"Henry! I'm suffocating in here!"

"I'm guessing you work in the sound department?" The man sat down at Henry's table, causing Henry to mentally groan.

"Well... I'm kinda hopping around right now, Walt's trying to figure out where to put me."

"It's only temporary, though!" Bendy snapped.

"Probably... should put those records away before they continue to disturb the peace." The man chuckled.

Henry nodded quickly and ran off without another word.

"We're we goin', Henry?" Bendy called. "You're banging around too much, slow down!"

"Quiet, you little punk, last thing we need is to get caught."

"What? It's illegal for me ta be here?"

"No, it's just..." Henry spun around a corner and nearly collided into Ub. The two men gave surprised looks while Henry struggled to keep the case shut.

"Uh, hey Henry. What're you doing?"

"I... uh..."

"Henry! Ya squeezing me!" Bendy shouted. Ub's eyes went cartoonishly wide as he looked at the briefcase, then at Henry.

"I'm so sorry." Henry wispier/shouted. "He snuck in here with me."

Ub nodded in understanding. "Follow me."

The two men trekked down the hallway, avoiding eye contact with passbyers while Bendy continued to yell. Eventually they made it to Ubs office. As soon as Ub locked the door Henry dumped the toon on top of the desk.

"What are you doing here?!" Henry snapped.

"What'd it look like, old man?" Bendy snarked as he fixed his tie and brushed his shoulders. "I'm here to keep an I on ya!"

"I thought I made it perfectly clear that you were to stay at home with the girls."

"C'mon, Henry! Ain't ya glad to see a familiar face?"

Henry's scowl answered that question.

Bendy's face fell. "Okaaaay... clearly not."

"What am I gonna do?! If people see you with me they'll figure out where I'm from! I'll get chased out of here with Mickey Mouse cutouts!"

"I can go ink demon and get rid of them for ya." Bedy sneered.

"Ink demon...?" Ub queried.

"Nothing." Henry said quickly, "Listen Bendy, I can't leave work right now, so you're going to have to stay outta sight, you hear?"

Bendy rolled his eyes. "Fiiiiine... Just don't put me back in ya briefcase. It smells like old ham sandwiches."

"Do you know where I can hide him?" Henry asked Ub.

Ub ran his fingers through his messy hair. "Um... Mickey had some old hammerspaces... I don't remember where they are, though."

"Don't worry 'bout that, pal!" Bendy waved him off. "Toons are attracted to hammerspaces like roaches to a light."

"Roaches scatter when they see a light." Henry corrected.

Bendy scratched his horns, his face scrunched in confusion. "Oh... well, ya get my point."

Sure enough, Bendy managed to find a hammer space behind a desk in the animation department. He was given a book to read (A Snow Whire picture book, much to Bendy's dismay) and was given strict orders not to leave until Henry got him.

For a while, Bendy spent his time slowly shredding the book, often mismatching the heads and bodies of the characters. At one point he put his hand on the ground beside him, only to feel something very cold and wet. Bendy slowly looked down. It was difficult to see in the dim light, but it was unmistakable.

Ink.

Lots and lots of ink.

 **Authoress' note: That's enough for now. Exams are just around the corner for me, so I'll be MIA for a few weeks. But fear not! I'll be back on my feet in no time! In the meantime, remember to work hard, have fun and beware the ink demon!**


	5. Ink Monsters

**Authoress' note: Hey guys! Sorry for slow updates, don't know when things will return to normal. Things aren't bad, on the contrary, but a lot's been going on.**

 **But hey! We got some reviews splashing from the ink!**

 **MeliLouiseNorth: You're right about the "trouble" part**

 **FriziLordMaRi: Dude this is only the beginning!**

 **theAlmostPortupine: Glad to be a source of inspiration, and could you send me a link to your fanfic? I like the idea of consequences in your story, I'm doing a similar theme in "Fandom Frenzy."**

 **JOHNHAMMOND1993: Actually, Disneyland didn't open until 1955, this story takes place in 1940. Good guess, though!**

 **gemstar22: Thanks! I failed 2 exams but i graduated, and thats what matters!**

 **On to the mysteries! I own only the story idea (Walt please don't haunt me)**

 _Is it bad that I'm starting to get used to seeing Mickey Mouse everywhere?_

It was getting late in the studio, most of the staff had already left for the night, leaving the animation department dark and empty. Henry was finishing up on his work, his back hunched and the only light being the table light under the paper. On the paper was an unknown character in mid-run. He noticed his hand was beginning to shake, which was it's way of telling Henry that if he didn't stop he was going to pass out. The animator stretched, feeling several pops in his back. Grabbing his briefcase, he trotted over to Bendy's little hammerspace, which was a few tables down. Bendy had become unusually quiet in the recent hours, but Henry just assumed he fell asleep.

"Bendy." Henry whispered to the corner. When there was no reply he said, "Bendy, Boris is about to steal your lunch."

Silence.

Henry frowned. Even though Boris wasn't around anymore, that normally woke Bendy up. Henry tried looking for the hammerspace. Being a Creator meant that he could find hammerspaces easier than normal humans, but he was still human.

"Bendy, wake up." Henry said a little louder. When nothing happened Henry tried shaking the desk, but still nothing.

 _Did he move without me knowing?_

 _He **is** a sneaky little punk. _

Henry began exploring other parts the the animation department, occasionally turning on lights or shaking desks. He struggled to be as descrite as possible, but he felt like every noise he made was disrupting the heavy silence. After disturbing every possible hammerspace, Henry decided to try other parts of the studio.

 _I hope I find him before Walt does._

OOO

Walt Disney had developed a reputation for being hard working, a little too hard working. On more occasions than he would care to admit Walt had fallen asleep in his office, both at the studio and in his home. Before Mickey had vanished the mouse had often complained about not spending enough time with him or the girls. Now that Mickey was gone, Walt was beginning to regret his self bearing workload. In the recent months when Walt passed out at his desk, he often dreamed of being awakened by a slightly irritated cartoon mouse.

So in the past few months, Walt had been drinking more coffee than what was healthy for him.

And that meant... frequent bathroom breaks.

As Walt washed his hands in the restroom, he felt himself being very jittery. It was a windy night, so every creak of the studio put him on edge. He wasn't paying much attention to the sink, instead darting his gaze to every corner of the room, as if anticipating an ambush.

Suddenly a low gurgling sound came from the sink. Looking down, Walt watched as a black liquid slowly oozed out of the drain. The stench of ink plagued the air.

Walt turned off the foset and slowly backed up, his soaked hands in front of him. After an inch of ink seeped out, it seemed to stop and the gurgles died down. Walt lowered his hands, his heart beginning to calm...

When an ink demon lurched out of it.

OOO

Ubbe Iwerks was also a hard working man, but he knew his limits. The messy-haired man was packing up his work when a firm knock came from his door. Ub was expecting Walt, but was unsurprised when he saw Henry.

"You've stayed late." Ub noted.

Henry fidgeted with his briefcase. "Old habits die hard."

"It's only your first day."

"I know, but I'm a workaholic."

"Walt and I are the same way. You heading home now?"

"Uh... actually..." Henry lowered his voice. "Have you seen Bendy?"

Ub gave a look that said "I'm not mad, just disappointed."

"I left him in a hammerspace near my desk, but he won't come out." Henry said defensively, "Are the hammerspaces connected or something around here?"

"The only ones who knows the answer to that are Mickey and the toons."

Henry huffed in annoyance. "Do you know any other places were I could look?"

"Why don't I just help you?" Ub suggested. "We can get the job done faster-"

The men's conversation was interrupted by a blood-curdling yell followed by the shouts and moans of two inhuman voices. Henry and Ub wasted no time racing to the source. It was coming near Walt's office, the restroom to be exact. As the two animators ran down the dark hallway, one of the hall doors banged open. Ub stopped in surprise, but Henry kept going, practically running into Walt.

"What-?!" Henry stumbled. Walt wasted no time, grabbing Henry's collar and running back the way Henry and Ub came. Ub ran behind the two men, the sound of something gurgling chasing them. At one point Ub could have sworn he felt a weak, wet hand swipe at his ankle. Eventually Walt made it back to Ub's office, locking the three men inside.

Ub collapsed in his desk while Walt kept his hands on the door, as if trying to barricade it. Once the Creators caught their breath, Henry panted, "What... was that?"

"Whatever that was, it tried to eat me!"

Ub and Henry looked Walt, the voice coming from his direction but not from him himself. It was then they learned that Walt had an ink-stained Bendy wrapped under his arm like a ragged doll. Bendy himself was panting and shaking, as well as spitting ink out of his mouth. Other than that, he seemed fine.

"I... I was just in the bathroom when he suddenly flew out of the sink. Then there was this... thing that came out too."

Right as Walt said that a banging came from the door. The men froze, watching as a puddle of ink oozed out under the door. The banging continued for several seconds, before the creature gave up with a defeated groan and left. It's inhuman moans haunted the hallway before fading away. For several minutes the only noise was the wind rattling the window.

"It came out of the sink?" Ub said at last.

"Yeah." Walt replied.

Henry looked at Bendy. "And what were _you_ doing in the sink-"

"It ain't my fault this time!" Bendy yelled. "I sat in the hammerspace like ya told me, when ink started oozen' from the wall. Next thing i know, I'm being toonnapped!"

"Did you get a good look at the creature?" Ub asked.

Bendy shook his head. "It was an ink thing. That's all I know." Bendy looked up at Walt. "Uh... are ye gonna put me down or what?"

Walt dropped Bendy as if he was made of hot coal. Looking at Henry, Walt gave that stern look only revealed in dire situations. "Henry, have you ever seen anything like this?"

"I... I don't think so... why ask me?"

"Isn't it obvious?!" Walt shout, swinging his arms in the air. "That thing just tried to steal a toon within this studio, a _toon._ Doesn't that sound..."

"Are you saying that these ink monsters are taking the toons?" Henry asked, a little dumbfounded.

"That would explain how they are getting stolen behind locked doors." Ub noted.

Walt sighed and collapsed in Ub's chair, covering his face with his ink-stained hands. After a moment he said, "Mickey... this is how Mickey got taken that night."

"We don't know that..."

"Yes we do, Ubbe! No one else was at the studio the night he disappeared. That thing snatched him right under our noses!"

The two creators and toon stared at Walt for a long time, the information sinking in. Henry eventually turned his attention to Bendy, quietly calming him down with pats on the back.

"I need some time to think." Walt moaned. "And to send someone to take care of that... thing. Who do I call, pest control?"

"I'll have Roy make some calls." Ub said, helping his friend to his feet. "You go home and rest. You can't stay here with that thing lurking around."

Walt nodded. Henry was just about to scoop Bendy off and leave when Walt stopped him.

"Henry, before I forget, maybe its for the best that Bendy doesn't smuggle himself in your briefcase."

Henry, too stunned by the resent events, only gave a curt nod.

 **Authoress' note: Alright, thats enough for tonight. With everything going on right now, theres something real satisfying about finishing a chapter.**

 **The plot thickens!**

 **And the whole "Walt passing out at his desk" thing is true. His wife would get real upset about that.**

 **I haven't done a question in a while, so here's one now:**

 **So now we know that Searchers are in the story, but what do you think a Searcher is within this tale?**

 **Anywho, follow, favorite, and review!**


	6. Auto Intruder

**Authoress' note: Aaaaand I'm still alive. I realized I haven't updated this tale in a while, and I don't plan on giving it up soon, so I'd thought I'd give you all a little short piece before I go work on some bigger chapters. It's only going to get crazier from here. Sorry if it looks a little rushed, because it is.**

 **And it seems that some reviewers have graced us with their presence!**

 **theAlmostPorcupine: Maybe they will, maybe they won't but the story's going to take a different turn than you expect. I already know how it's going to end. And I'll look into your story as soon as I can! (Life's been a bit busy)**

 **JOHNHAMMOND1993: Excellent theories, but like I said the story's gonna have a very different twist. Walt passing out at his desk is actually historically accurate. He was the embodiment of a workaholic.**

 **MeliLouiseNorth: What the searchers are will be very important to the story. Man I LOVE seeing you guys theorize! You're all like little MatPats!**

 **SLS: Yes... please... never say that again... (The mental image of that...)**

 **Anywho, on with the story! Or more like a short filler to keep the plot going! Enjoy and tell me more theories!**

Bendy never snuck into the Disney Studio after that, which Henry was grateful for. Still, he was always uneasy when he was alone in the animation department. Even though he wasn't _officially_ a Disney employee, his workaholic habits keeps him very late. More often than not he was the last to leave the animation department. It always worried Linda and made Bendy suspicious. When Henry wasn't working he was socializing with the other employees. And by that I mean he was observing their behavior trying to see if he can snuff out a suspect. He often found himself in Walts office piecing together information, which could last until the wee hours in the morning.

About two uneventful weeks go by. Henry had just finished up his work and was quickly put tiredly gathering his things and stuffing them into his briefcase. He had the day off tomorrow, so he was looking forward to a day of rest and maybe a little sightseeing.

Henry had noticed that after the ink creature incident whenever he was there late at night at night he kept his footsteps very soft and all his senses were on full alert. Tonight was no exception. Even though he was at the brink of exhaustion Henry sped-walked though the halls and out the door, almost like a thief with fear of being discovered.

Once he got to his father-in-laws house Henry accidentally bumped his elbow trying to open the car door. Normally he wouldn't react but his fatigue caused him to hiss some colorful words as he rubbed his arm. As the pain eventually wore off, Henry thought he heard something shift in the back seat. It sounded almost like a rustle of a blanket. Henry froze in place, staining his ears. The mental image of one of those ink creatures sneaking home with him made Henry's stomach drop. He sat in the dark for several seconds, occasionally hearing a rustle here and there.

Now convinced that there was an ink creature, Henry made a run for it. Leaving his briefcase in the auto he charged into the house and slammed the door behind him. He then ran to the fire place and grabbed one of the medal rods before running back outside, heart pounding all the way. He thrusted open the back door and was just about to wack whatever was back there when a falsetto voice squeaked in shock and a silhouette the size of a child scrambled to the other side of the passenger seats. Henry's fear turned into confusion. If he remembered correctly the ink monster seemed to have a gurgled moan, and this intruder's voice sounded pretty human compared to it.

 _Had a child snuck in?_

Carefully lowering the weapon, but still having a firm grip, Henry looked into the dark car, straining to make out the silhouette. It was cured into a ball, but it's pale face stared at him in pure terror. Henry blinked, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him. The face was not human. It was larger with big eyes and a pointy nose. As reality settled in Henry's stomach, he though he was going to pass out.

It was Mickey Mouse.

 **Authoress' note: Plot twist, Boris did not eat Goofy.**


End file.
